We re currently using conduction gel for our IPL treatments. Can I get some feedback as to what you guys are using out there? We re pretty backward downunder in australia. What are your views on the use of silicone (????) sheet vs traditional gel method for IPL. Which company produces the sheets ? Thoughts, experiences and expertise much appreciated.

Hi - I am also downunder and I dont think we are backward at all!I suggest you use ordinary ultrasound gel - I now use the cheaper blue gel available from any medical supplies company. I really dont think the blue coulour makes the slightest difference. I have a bar fridge in the IPL room so that it is always cold.Use a large tongue depressor to lay it on and take it off with

Why do you keep the gel cold? Are you trying to punish your clients. If you put it on the client it becomes close to body temperature very quick. That is whether it is put on cold, room temperature or warm. It does not work by being cold it works to protect the skin through evaporation thus acting as a heat sink.

Try using a warmer it will make your clients much happier and they will not squirm every time you apply the gel.

Topher-When I tried to use blue ultrasound gel that was shipped to me incorrectly, my laser techs and the Syneron trainer FREAKED out on me saying that there is a huge difference. If laser is attracted to pigment and the gel is blue it compromises the effectiveness. The clear is the same price and makes everyone happy.We refrigerate the gel because we do not use Emla, and the colder it is it provides a small amount of numbing the same that pre-icing a sensitive area will.

They may freak out - i am just saying from my personal experience there is no difference - I cant find clear gel at the same price here in Aus - its all more expensive. I dont think a thin layer of coloured gel makes any difference and I 've been doing IPL for 13 years. Do they have any actual EVIDENCE that it makes a difference? Are the important wavelengths actually attracted to pale blue?I use BLT/fraxel type anaesthetic cream and cold gel. If you have had a "hot " treatment done like IPl then you would probably agree that the cold gel is quite comforting. If you apply it each anatomical area as you go it does not heat up that quickly. But I have to admit I have not tried room temp gel so I have no evidence to that.

I would bet that if you were to check the gel becomes body/room temperature very quickly unless you are putting it on more than 1/4 inch thick and only treating very small areas. I for one do not want someone putting cold gel on my back for a treatment. Remember the gels are water based and cause cooling by evaporation. So personally i do not think cooling the gel has any significant improvement over room temperature or warmed. We use it either warm or room temperature. the patients we do large areas on like backs prefer the warmed gel.

here's my experience with the blue gel. we use Nd:Yag for deep vascular condition, and normally I use the ultrasound gel. Well it turned out that the slightest colour caused some scattering enough on the surface skin or some thing rather obsucre, because all the patients I treated with this gel + Nd:Yag head formed a blisters. never before have I had an adverse reaction with the clear ultrasound jelly...

we try to use the safest and more effective method. i dont know what else it could have been, because I had the Cryo cooler on, had the head in contact with skin as usual. Everything except the gel was usual practise.

but hey it could just be that blue gels are only safe to be used during IPL procedures. However, not all IPL fire/flash the energy in the same way, and I'm no physicist so I woulndt be confident to use it I suppose.

And I am interested in finding out the sheet method? What is that really? Is it only for a specific IPL?

I m not too sure myself. I saw on it the internet awhile back. Instead of gel, one uses a silicone (??) sheet - I assume this acts the same way as conduction gel. Looks less messy, decreases consumables...anyone out there use this method?

We use clear u/s gel in our Physician run derm. clinic. The obvious would be how can you assess the condition of the skin after easch pulse/shot of the laser..Sometimes you need to adjust your settings and the treated area may require an additional zap.. Just have an explanantion ready for a judge when she asks you if the blue obscures your view of your patients skin which is first and foremost the single most important aspect of working with. This is why our Doc uses it. We buy a gallon jug for less than $20(us)..It will make 30 bottles..thats 30 pts. thats 0.67 per pt..we ALSO keep it cold as well. It does cool to body temp quickly but also helps to absorp a small amt of heat from the laser. Doesn't make sense to put a WARM gel on skin and then introduce a heat source. The warmth of the gel could make the skin slightly pink, you laser them then they get pinker. You could possibly UNDER tx your pt being you are getting a false assessment of the pts skin..I mean you wouldn't offer a warm towel AFTER using a heat source so why a warm gel BEFORE.. Makes no sense to me but I'm entitled....I've been doing this for over 13 years and have never had a patient complain over the coldness of the gel especially after I warn them that it may be a little cold......good luck mate...

I agree with using the clear US gel but not on your assumptions with the warm gel. From what you said I make the assumption you have never used WARM gel. Warm gel does not turn the skin pink. It is warm not HOT. It will not give you a false assessment of the skin. It really does not matter in the long haul it is just for comfort. I would rather have warm gel put on my back than cold. It only really matters on large areas anyway.

The gel does not produce a heat source it is only slightly warmer than body temperature. Not to mention that due to evaporation it cools to body temperature long before you start to use the laser just like the cold gel warms up to body temperature very quickly.

It is not the temperature of the gel that produces the protection of the skin it is the evaporative process. Just like our sweat when it evaporates it decreases the temperature of the skin. It is the evaporation that acts as a heat sink not the temperature of the gel at application.

Just adding to what everyone here is saying, There's many ways to treat a patient, but the best outcome depends on aftercare too.My opinion is that warm gels may breed bacteria on the tip, esp. if the bottle is being re-used.

Therefore the best option to provide the best outcome when treating with IPL is to stick with

-Gel that slightly cooler than skin temp (or even cooler temp, e.g. fridged gel). It can also minimise burns caused by initial erythema that a patient may present, on a hot sunny day.

-OTHERWISE the clinician must use a Cryo or cooling device throughout the treatment. (if not installed in the tip)

If you are getting proven outcomes for your patients, why do we have to debate over such matter? We're all great therapists in all accord, so lets talk about how we can help each other understand other clinician's methods!

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I have a friend that was getting laser skin rejuvenation on her face. She was very happy with her results until recently where her neck was burnt. My question is, how important is the gel in the process of laser skin rej. and hair removal? Because I dont recall there being any gel on her neck, just her face. Could the 'no gel' have caused the burn? Anyone with a professional opinion please give me some answers, because I am now reconcidering going to my next session of laser hair removal.

Hi--I have been using syneron lasers for over 3 yrs. It is absolutely necessary to use ultrasound gel as a conduction for the radio frequencey used in the lasers. When gel is "missed" in a spot accidently, you would receive a burn in that area. "arcing" is when a blister is caused from not having the prongs placed properly on the skin. Both of these mistakes can cause a burn or a blister on a patients skin and is to be avoided at all costs.

It would be almost impossible for a tech to burn an entire neck area without the patient being aware of it because of the lack of gel (if there isn't gel placed on the entire neck--a popping sound would occur). But the possibility of the numbers programed improperly during treatment is probable cause for burning a large area even if gel is properly placed on the surface.

Tan skin or skin with a higher pigment is to be treated at alot lower numbers than lighter skin tones. When client is not properly skin typed burning will occur.

i have purchased an ipl machine (chromogenex phaser EPL- made in UK). They say i don't need to use gel, only cool the area with ice pack before and after. But i'm afraid to do that and i am going to use gel. the only thing is that they have given me a clear film to attach to the hand piece before working with the gel. because the gel is not supposed to get into the hand piece. Have you ever done this? will it be effective to remove hair by attaching a film? thanks

I worked with lasers and IPLs. Our IPL machine does not require the use of gel. Gel does make the procedure go faster, but why use the messy stuff if the laser does not require its use? I've had great outcome without the gel using IPL. It's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions at all times.

Hi I've had ipl done on my face for several years, always had some sort of gel applied. The procedure was painful, but tolerable. Last week I had a treatment without. It hurt like hell!!!!! Made me cry even, but the tech said they are taught now not to use it, that using gel scatters the light, and you get better results without it. I had no burns, bluster, and better results than I ever had before.